Brynne #2
She stepped up to the glass window and waved her finger at him. “No,” she cooed, talking to him in a baby voice. “He’s just a little baby, and he’s starving , aren’t you? Tell your mean landlord to feed you, otherwise I’m calling Raccoon Protective Services on her. Yes, I am. Yes, I am.”
Hopping to her feet, she clapped her hands. “Feed him,” she demanded, pointing at the feral animal. “I’ll be back to check on him tomorrow.”
“We can’t keep feeding him!” I called, but she ignored me as she made her way through the house.
“And don’t forget about the housewarming party tomorrow night!” The front door slammed shut, and I let my head fall back against the couch.
Shit.
I forgot about that.
My eyes were suddenly too heavy, and my body felt gross. I needed a hot bath, another glass of wine, and a smutty book.
But I needed to give this raccoon his nightly meatball before I could do anything else.
I stumbled to my feet, the world momentarily spinning around me. I didn’t think I’d had that much wine, but apparently, I had, and it had all gone to my head.
Grabbing my phone, I checked Pulse as I walked to the kitchen. Theo’s profile was gray, showing he wasn’t online. He was the one who asked me to talk tonight. Was this some sick kink of his? Knowing that I was waiting around for him to message me?
Well, it wouldn’t work. I wouldn’t be that girl, pathetically drinking wine and waiting for a cute guy to text her. It wouldn’t be me.
I set the phone down and grabbed a pre-cooked meatball from the freezer. Popping it on a plate, I put it in the microwave and leaned against the counter.
I stared at my phone like he would message me if I thought about it enough.
What was he even doing? Why would he tell me to be available, but not free up his night? It made no sense.
Unless he was having second thoughts, which was likely. He probably finally came to his senses and realized that he definitely should not be talking to his sister’s best friend.
I shouldn’t be talking to him.
I knew that.
But I couldn’t help it. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to know what he had to say, what he was thinking, why he wanted to talk to me.
Maybe it would lead us down a bad path, one that would destroy everything. Or maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe it would lead nowhere.
Maybe everything ended tonight. We’d discuss his wild day of coming to the school, what was being said about him and Scout, and then…what?
We’d pretend like we hadn’t talked on a dating app? We’d move on with our lives, ignoring the fact that we would both still be on the app, looking for someone to fuck. Someone to love.
The microwave beeped, and reality settled around me once more. I grabbed the plate and chopped the meatball into tiny pieces before sprinkling the fancy cheese Trinity bought him all over the chopped meat.
It was ridiculous. I knew that. It wasn’t like Meatball could tell her I didn’t give him the cheese, but I swore she knew somehow. The thought of hidden cameras had crossed my mind more than once, but I didn’t think she’d do that.
At least, I hoped she wouldn’t.
No…she wouldn’t. She’d do a lot, but crossing that boundary wasn’t one of them.
Still, I glanced around my kitchen for anything out of place. And as I made my way to the back deck, I paid attention to the corners of the room for a little camera.
Sliding the door open, I crouched and watched as Meatball excitedly took a small piece of meat in his hands and began eating.
I shut the door, and watched him for a few moments.
He really seemed to enjoy his nightly meatball with fancy cheese, and who was I to deny him?
If that was what made his little life a little brighter—and if it made Trinity’s brighter, too, I’d do it.
I grabbed my phone from the kitchen before making my way down the hallway toward my bedroom, pulling my T-shirt off over my head. My phone was burning a hole through my hand the longer I ignored it, but I forced myself to.
You are not pathetic, Brynne. You won’t wait around for a man to text you.
But that was exactly what I was doing, and I was well aware of it.
I tossed my shirt onto the floor, before slipping the rest of my clothes off. My phone was still clutched in my hand, almost like it was a lifeline—no, lifeline was too dramatic. I didn’t need it to survive, but I wanted it.
I was desperate for it.
It was more of a distraction—an anchor in the reality outside of real life. It was just something for me to get lost in. For the rest of the world to fade away, and for me to pretend like nothing else existed.
Maybe it was dramatic—no, it was dramatic.
But it was the truth.
It was a distraction. But it was so much more than that, too.
I turned the handle, letting the bathtub fill with hot water while I rummaged around for my lavender bubble bath. After a day like today, I needed everything I could get to relax. I glanced at the doorway. Maybe I should get more wine.
I shook myself. I’d already had three glasses. If I had anymore, I’d have to take tomorrow off to nurse a wine hangover, which was the worst kind of hangover.
As soon as the liquid hit the water, bubbles erupted, covering every inch. I glanced at my phone still in my hand, unsure of what to do with it. I didn’t want to put it too far from me, but I also wanted to tell myself I wasn’t waiting for him.
“Fucking Christ,” I said, letting out a long breath and shaking my head. This was already a mess and nothing had even happened between us.
I lifted my hair into a messy bun to keep it dry, and slowly lowered myself into it. Steam billowed from the scalding water, filling the room with a warm, lavender humidity.
My phone sat on the ledge, taunting me. But I turned my attention forward, forcing myself to sink lower into the water. The warmth seeped into my aching muscles, easing the tension from them.
The lavender invaded my senses, and I breathed even deeper, allowing the wine and the floral scent to soothe me into the state of relaxation I’d been desperate for.
My eyes fluttered shut, and my body felt weightless as I floated in the tub.
Everything drifted away—the chaos of the day, thoughts of Theo, worries about my family, Mason’s upcoming visit. It all went away, swimming somewhere in the periphery of my mind, far enough away to forget those thoughts ever existed, but still close enough to never fully ignore.
A harsh vibration shot through the tub, echoing in the water, and I shot up. It sloshed over the edge, soaking the floor, and I cursed under my breath.
Water flung from my fingertips as I shook my hand, drying it enough to grab my phone. My heart leapt into my throat as I stared at the Pulse notification.
Was it him?
Only one way to find out.